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Fixing corporate hypocrisy helps boost employee retention — and sales
Lonny Alfred RetailThe retail industry is in the hot seat again over a new report that reveals the two ways retail employees experience corporate hypocrisy: from direct managers and from corporate offices. University of Missouri researchers Saheli Goswami, a doctoral student in the MU College of Human Environmental Sciences, and Jung Ha-Brookshire, an associate professor of textile and apparel management and associate dean for research in the MU College of Human Environmental Sciences, interviewed retail industry employees in various levels of employment.
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New overtime rule looms with only 1 month to spare
Jessica Taylor Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementAfter giving businesses more than six months to prepare, the final U.S. Department of Labor rule change regarding overtime regulations will become effective on Dec. 1, affecting more than 4.2 million workers within the United States. With only one month left, do you know how the law will impact you and your employees?
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From the top: Baseball caps convey messages from simple to profound
Bob Kowalski RetailThey're ubiquitous and part of every uniform for the Cubs and Indians players in this year's World Series. But they're far from uniform even though they're atop the heads of millions of sports fans — and nonfans, for that matter. Baseball caps have a rare and universal way of getting a message across, as simple as showing support for a sports team and as pronounced as indicating favor in a race for our nation's next president.
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HVAC units require special care during the winter months
Doug Haymore Facilities & GroundsWhen we think of maintaining our facilities during the winter months, our first thoughts generally go to removing snow from the parking lot and walkways. That is definitely an important area of focus, as snow and ice have been known to lead to slip and fall injuries.
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Metals Thoughts: Ample support edition
Brad Yates Natural ResourcesThe big stories this morning all seem to be revolving around base metals/broad industrials, and that has given a bit of a bid to the precious complex in spite of some continued dollar strength. Both gold and silver are hovering around their 200-day moving averages, with gold slightly below it and silver just above — neither of which is much of a change over the last few weeks since the drop in early October.
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When’s the last time you tested your hiring system?
Mel Kleiman Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementThe unemployment rate across the United States has remained quite stable since August of 2015 — sitting right at 5 percent as of September, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's exactly half of what it was during the height of the recession in the fall of 2009.
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Tell that employee to stop whining — It’s OK
Catherine Iste Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWhen is it OK to tell your employees to stop whining? More often than you think. While "stop whining" may not be as satisfying as declaring "you're fired" or "I quit," it can feel great to clearly and succinctly tell a constantly complaining employee to get over it and go back to his cubicle. Yet we do not. Why?
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Political show shoves economic news aside as job market tightens
Paul Zukowski Business Management, Services & Risk ManagementWith all the harsh words and finger-pointing being exchanged by the Democrat and Republican presidential candidates this month, it can be hard to get a grasp of what's really going on in the U.S. economy. Is it true, for instance, that America never wins anymore? Do we have to be made great again, or are things pretty great in the first place?
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Standing in the landlord’s shoes: Seeing yourself as a prospective…
Dale Willerton and Jeff Grandfield RetailSecuring a commercial tenancy isn't always an easy process. One big reason is landlords and tenants have different motivations. For landlords, owning commercial property and leasing space to tenants is their primary goal. Tenants, however, want to focus on running a profitable business or providing great service. The property is a place to attract customers to your business — it's not an end unto itself.
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Metals thoughts: Sudden stop edition
Brad Yates Natural ResourcesGold and silver both seem to have arrested their falls over the last week, with both sitting squarely on top of their 200-day moving averages. The almost relentless dollar strengthening since mid-September has pretty much every opposing currency weaker, and that has had a follow through to metals across the board.
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